Grab a kayak, some paddles and a glow stick and glide along the waters of Lake Natoma to witness a beautiful sunset and the rise of the full moon.

Sacramento State’s Aquatic Center offers students and the general public the opportunity to participate in Sunset Paddle, a kayaking trip where guests enjoy the sunset and take a relaxing paddle in the light of the full moon.

Sunset Paddle takes place near the end of each month, just as the full moon is ready to emerge. The next Sunset Paddle will take place from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at Lake Natoma. The program welcomes people of all kayaking abilities.

The Aquatic Center has guides who take kayak enthusiasts out on the water to teach students how to get into the kayaks and how to paddle. The guides then take the kayakers across the lake as it starts to get dark.

Along the journey across the lake, the kayakers reach a marshland area where participants can paddle around at their own leisure and explore. Sunset Paddle is normally a two and a half hour adventure.

Katy Martinez, recreation parks and leisure studies professor, takes her students out to Sunset Paddle during the spring semester. Martinez said she has been kayaking for years and loves to share the experience with her students.

“I like doing this event because it gives students a chance to see what we have available. The number of students that say they have never been to the Aquatic Center before is sad,” Martinez said. “We have this wonderful resource available that includes learning to kayak, going canoeing, using the water bikes, and taking sailboat lessons.”

Hasten Jones, senior communication studies major, participated in a Sunset Paddle last spring.

Jones said that if he hadn’t taken Martinez’s class, he would have missed out on the great experience. Jones said that the trip was really fun because there was a really youthful and lively atmosphere on Lake Natoma. Jones said the employees and participants at Sunset Paddle were helpful. “It was definitely my first time ever kayaking so, when I sat in the kayak, I sat in it wrong, but there were definitely a lot of people there to help me,” Jones said. Cindi Dulgar, the Aquatic Center’s director, said students tend to love the kayaking experience and environment that Lake Natoma provides. “Sunset Paddle is really popular. It’s a great date kind of thing. Sunset Paddle is only two and half hours. It’s just really pretty and quiet,” Dulgar said. Dulgar said each participant is given a glow stick during Sunset Paddle, which makes for a beautiful collection of lights out on the lake. Participants in Sunset Paddle can choose to go on single kayaks or with a partner on tandem kayaks.

Martinez said many people are surprised at how difficult the kayaking experience can be and how much strength it requires. Martinez said she is usually the last one to hop onto the kayaks when she participates in Sunset Paddle because she waits to make sure that things are going smoothly. Martinez said it helps students if she assists them in stabilizing the kayaks as they get in. Samantha Ott, senior psychology major, said she had a difficult time managing a tandem kayak with her boyfriend on her Sunset Paddle trip with Martinez’s class last spring. “I had a lot of fun. It was extremely hard work, harder than I thought it was going to be, but it was a really good trip. I really enjoyed the marshlands area. That was really fun,” Ott said.

Miranda Marsalla can be reached at [email protected]